Finally some work!

  • Thread starter The Branch Doctor
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If you want a durable camera, get an Olympus. But their lenses suck. If you want good pictures, get a Canon. I just picked up the Canon Powershot SD750 and the pictures are much better than the two Olympus cameras I had (and lost).
 
This Fall/Winter has been real well for me.--Unusually well.

I am starting to schedule into Feburary already. It is a catch 22. I have the work, which is great to pay bills, but who wants to work in winter conditions?:big-freeze:

So, the problems I run into this time of year is having the work scheduled, but weather comes in and changes things (like yesterday and today). So, this means I have to re-schedule work to a later date. Well, that may seem like no problem, until I am back-logged 12 customers and more!:slam2:
 
Talked with my old boss the other day. One of the bigger local tree services is calling back estimates from the spring and summer, and offering 25% off the originally quoted price. Winter rates. Kinda cut-throat way to do business, but I admire him for trying to keep his guys busy. So in turn my old boss is calling his old estimates and offering 10%.
 
Thats just smart business Jonny, gotta keep guys around. We call back or send follow up letter's to every estimate. We may not offer 25% off, but we sure call them back.
 
I had a busy spring and a moderately slow summer, followed by a brisk fall. I have most of this month scheduled and a couple of jobs in the new year. Most of the summer I was only two days out and had to get crafty to fill my days.

If it gets cold enough to snow here, I am golden as it never snows enough to shut down work. Freezing cold rain stinks though.
 
In late summer when someone makes faces at a bid I gave them I would write on the sheet 15% after November 1st. That has gotten me a lot of jobs I would have just lost otherwise.
 
I am perhaps the most modest person in the world but am not comfortable with saying so.
 
Jamin, A method that works well for me is to give people an estimated interval for the work-"Right now I am about 5 weeks out." I then offer them the option of me calling ahead to set up the specific day or working it in as soon as I have opportunity (this option works assuming there are no dogs, locked gates etc.). By doing things in this fashion I don't get into a situation of having to call a dozen people to postpone or reschedule. If I wake up to rotten conditions I only have one or 2 people to call and adjust scheduling with.
 
A doctor never wishes for a flu epidemic... a treeworker never wishes for an ice storm... but, hey...it sure wouldn't hurt right now.
:/:
 
still charging full price here. the market is good, the weather is so so and the motivation well, is high (baby due in less than 3 months). I have been charging a good rate per hour for work and have been getting most bids. yard prunings, some seasonal cleanups (thank goodness for hired help) and some small tree prunings.
 
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